Monster

Monster is an experience that I chose to undertake by alternating between reading the manga and watching the anime. This review primarily focuses on the manga, but since the story is nearly identical in both formats, all comments about the plot apply to the anime as well.

Right off the bat, this story does not live up to its reputation as one of the highest-rated manga of all time. It's not necessarily bad or poorly constructed; it just isn't particularly remarkable or groundbreaking. This is essentially a straightforward action mystery thriller with elements of a detective story. That's not inherently bad, but it doesn't align with the general reception or how the manga initially presents itself.

The opening chapters were incredibly promising, leading me to believe this would be a masterpiece about a kind-hearted Japanese doctor in Germany who becomes traumatized by the dilemmas of emergency medicine. I thought he'd become so haunted by having to choose whom to save that he'd be driven to confront societal inequities, possibly becoming the titular "monster" himself. However, this is not the story that unfolds. After the first two volumes, it became clear that this was mostly a mystery suspense thriller. Despite this, it remains entertaining.

The art style is signature Urasawa, polished and well-realized, complementing the setting and story. The plot involves chasing around Europe, always being a step behind the main villain. The series often dangles hope in front of the reader, making you doubt there will be any resolution at all. After 162 chapters, there finally is... sort of.

The ending is largely unsatisfying and disappointing. Given how the story is artificially stretched and padded out, this feels especially egregious. There are numerous contrivances to keep Tenma morally clean, preventing him from making decisions that go against his principles. While the story aims to be deep, I wonder if readers mistake polish for depth. Overall, the presentation felt highly polished, but the characters, themes, and plot seemed shallow.

Regarding the characters, there's not much to say. Tenma is an impossibly good guy, which can be frustrating. He had potential for development but remains largely unchanged from start to finish. The villain is easily the worst aspect of the story—unbelievable, comically evil, and confusingly cruel. Lack of character development is also an issue here. Some other characters have interesting personalities, like Tenma’s ex, the obsessed detective, and "the amazing Steiner," which helps keep the story moving.

What Monster does well is gradually build a sense of journey and adventure by changing settings, introducing diverse characters, and presenting various predicaments. Each segment or sub-arc has a distinct tone and supporting cast, evoking nostalgia once you reach the end. In essence, stacking many shallow elements creates a false sense of depth, which is what Monster ultimately delivers.

In conclusion, it's a competent story that works both as a manga and anime experience. However, those expecting to be blown away might find themselves wanting more—a lot more.

What I believe is the true monster in "Monster" by Naoki Urasawa. Spoilers ahead for those who haven't watched it.

I think the real monster in the series exists within every character. Each person has something that drives them to commit cruel or tragic acts, except for Tenma, our protagonist, who overcomes his own inner monster. In the first few episodes, as a brilliant neurosurgeon, Tenma is exploited by the hospital director and others to the point where he wishes they were "better off dead." However, the director and others are also driven by their own monsters—greed for money and fame.

When the director and others are killed, Tenma overcomes his "monster," but his monster differs from the others'. Being naturally kind-hearted, Tenma's "monster" was the desire for the evil desires of others to disappear. His wish for the removal of these monstrous traits in others made him different. Although his intentions were good, wishing for someone’s demise is morally equivalent to committing the act itself. This unique "monster" sets him apart from other characters in the story.

Tenma eventually realizes that all lives are equal after saving Johan, who embodies the darkest human desires and nature. By performing surgery on Johan instead of the politician, Tenma metaphorically saves himself from his own "monster"—the wish for bad people to be gone. This realization leads him to understand the equality of all lives.

Johan, on the other hand, shares similar yet distinct beliefs from Dr. Tenma. He believes that "all people are equal in death" and carries the burden of everyone's dark desires. Johan kills the director and others whom Tenma wished would disappear. As Johan evolves, he manipulates people, exploiting their deepest desires and driving them to madness, ultimately becoming the "Devil." Tenma wants to kill Johan for reviving the "monster" that affects everyone, but ironically, overcoming his own "monster" happens because of Johan, through saving him and realizing that all lives are equal.

Johan manipulates the darkness within people, reminding us of this when he talks to the prostitute pretending to be Margot, stating there is deeper darkness within. While I can’t blame Johan for becoming the Monster and Devil given his traumatic experiences, I don’t justify his actions. The ending beautifully showcases Tenma saving everyone he meets by helping them overcome their inner "monsters." These saved individuals, in turn, save others Tenma hasn’t met, creating a chain of salvation culminating in saving Johan, the embodiment of the "Monster."

All side characters play a crucial role, sharing responsibility for creating Johan, the ultimate "Monster." This narrative highlights how society creates such monsters through selfish desires. Despite this, Dr. Tenma represents hope and compassion, showing that humanity can strive for equality and kindness. Even in our imperfect world, compassion shines through, making it beautiful despite suffering.

A perfect 10/10 for this psychological thriller anime.

FIRE. The narrative does an excellent job of weaving in characters' backstories and previous events when they reappear in later chapters. There were only a few instances where I needed to revisit earlier sections to refresh my memory. It's quite impressive considering the large number of characters, each playing a unique role that drives the story forward. The gradual revelation of information as different characters pursue shadowy figures—and each other—is incredibly engaging. The plot thickens continuously, layering over itself in a captivating manner. It was immensely enjoyable to piece together the story alongside the characters, with Johan's 'rise' fully explained only in the final frames. The pacing is exhilarating, filled with puzzle pieces right up to the end, keeping Dr. Tenma on edge throughout his desperate hunt for this monster. The dilemmas become increasingly complex and sticky. Engrossing, gruesome, and highly rewarding.

It's hard for me to do a detailed analysis of the "Monster" manga, as it presents us with a completely philosophical and deeply human plot that made me feel really bad about being human. Thanks to this, the manga incorporates several philosophical elements such as: "What is the meaning of life?", "What is the value of life?", "How can we be sure if the decision we made is right or wrong?", or "Do all lives have the same value?" Both the protagonist and readers are constantly confronted with these thoughts. Related to all these questions and philosophies generated during the reading, it shows us an engaging story with several twists along the plot.

Story [10]: The story of "Monster" has an extremely engaging plot with well-written twists and no holes. The author narrates the story slowly, thus generating a great reading pace, making us know more about the nature of all the main characters, making reading become something very good to be read. The author also makes good use of flashbacks, as if each flashback were like a part of a puzzle and in the end will make you get a sense of certain situations about the plot.

Art [8]: The art is simple and efficient, nothing surprising but great. The author portrays well the emotions and facial expressions of the characters in a very detailed and emotional way, so that you can feel how the character feels at the moment of unfolding in the plot.

Characters [10]: The manga "Monster" has several characters and is very complex, and even the characters, however small they are, are very relevant to the story. All are well developed in the right measure as if studied an orchestra.

Conclusion [10]: "Monster" was one of the best manga I've ever read. It's a mixture of several well-crafted and highly developed characters with an attractive plot and very human and expressive art that makes the reader delve into reading and be fascinated with the unfolding of the plot.